.50 caliber armor piercing shell. Not uranium after all.
I had high hopes that this rifle shell contained a depleted uranium core. But it doesn't. Analysis by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at the Center for Microanalysis of Materials, University of Illinois (partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DEFG02-91-ER45439) revealed the following composition for the core of the shell (the cladding having been cut away on a lathe):
98.84% Iron
0.54% Molybdenum
0.47% Lead
0.16% Copper
No uranium. Source:eBay seller accurateimageContributor:Theodore GrayAcquired:31 July, 2002Text Updated:29 January, 2009Price: $10/eachSize: 2.5"Purity: 98.84%